Banafsheh Ghorbani, Pirhossein Kolivand, Majed Dehghani, Fatemeh Bahramnezhad,
Volume 31, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
The recent war between Iran and Israel exemplifies modern hybrid warfare, combining traditional and emerging threats, including cyberattacks, psychological and informational warfare, and biological operations. The healthcare system, as a critical target in such conflicts, is highly vulnerable both humanly and digitally, and any disruption to its infrastructure or digital systems can have severe human, social, and economic consequences. Experiences from countries like Ukraine, and South Korea demonstrate that enhancing cyber, human, and managerial resilience in healthcare—including establishing backup facilities, multi-skill training, advanced cybersecurity, and rapid response protocols—is crucial to ensure continuity of medical services and minimize damage. Therefore, developing national policies and programs to strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems against hybrid threats is essential, as preparedness today guarantees the continuity of health tomorrow.
